{{Short description|2025 United-States animated short film}} {{Infobox film | native_name = | name = Snow Bear | image = Snow_Bear_Film_Poster.jpg | alt = | caption = | writer = | starring = | narrator = | cinematography = | music = {{Plainlist| * Mark Mancina * Marlon E. Espino }} | editing = | director = Aaron Blaise | producer = Nicholas Burch | studio = Aaron Blaise Studios | distributor = | released = {{Film date|2025|11|28}} | runtime = 11 minutes | country = United States | language = | budget = | gross = }} '''''Snow Bear''''' is a 2025 American animated short film written and directed by Aaron Blaise (known for the 2003 Academy Award-nominated feature ''Brother Bear''). The 11-minute wordless<ref name="polygon">{{Cite web| last = Robinson| first = Tasha| title = A Disney animator drew all 11,000 frames of this beautiful short film on his own| work = Polygon| access-date = January 31, 2026| date = December 12, 2025| url = https://www.polygon.com/disney-director-aaron-blaise-snow-bear-short/}}</ref> animated film following the life of a lonely polar bear was selected in various international film festivals, including the Annecy Film Festival,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Film d'animation catégorie Jeune public : Snow Bear {{!}} |url=https://www.annecyfestival.com/le-festival/selection-officielle/competition/2025/jeune-public/snow-bear |access-date=2025-07-24 |website=www.annecyfestival.com |language=fr}}</ref> the Tribeca Film Festival<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coates |first=Jazz Tangcay,Matt Minton,Abigail Lee,Lauren |date=2025-04-24 |title=Tribeca Festival Launches Immersive Technology Exhibit 'In Search of Us' – Film News in Brief |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/news/film-news-in-brief-april-21-2025-1236373900/ |access-date=2025-07-24 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Milligan |first=Mercedes |date=2025-04-22 |title=Tribeca Fest Unveils Animated Shorts Lineup Curated by Whoopi Goldberg |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2025/04/tribeca-fest-unveils-animated-shorts-lineup-curated-by-whoopi-goldberg/ |access-date=2025-09-11 |website=Animation Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> and Animafest Zagreb.<ref>{{Cite web |title=animafest.hr |url=https://animafest.hr/en/2025/film/read/snow_bear |access-date=2025-07-24 |website=animafest.hr}}</ref> The film was entirely animated by Aaron Blaise himself over the span of three years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Billington |first=Alex |date=2025-03-26 |title=Aaron Blaise's Homemade Animated Short 'Snow Bear' Official Trailer {{!}} FirstShowing.net |url=https://www.firstshowing.net/2025/aaron-blaises-homemade-animated-short-snow-bear-official-trailer/ |access-date=2025-08-11 |website=www.firstshowing.net |language=en-US}}</ref>
''Snow Bear'' is currently available to watch on Blaise's YouTube channel.
It was shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards in the category of Best Animated Short Film.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://press.oscars.org/news/98th-oscarsr-shortlists-12-award-categories-announced |title= 98th Oscars Shortlists in 12 Award Categories Announced |date=December 16, 2025|access-date= December 17, 2025 |website= Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |language=en}}</ref><ref name="osc:hr">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2026-oscars-shortlists-1236452202/ |title= 2026 Oscars Shortlists Revealed|author= Hilary Lewis, Beatrice Verhoeven |website= The Hollywood Reporter |date= December 16, 2025 |access-date= December 17, 2025|language=en}}</ref>
== Plot == A lonely male polar bear named Glen lives on an unforgivable ice floe in the Arctic. After failing to befriend an arctic fox, an orca and some Canada geese, he decides to create his own out of snow. He spends his days with it watching the aurora borealis, playing hide-and-seek, eating seals, sliding down snowbanks and even imitating nearby walruses together.
One morning, the snow-made bear starts melting. Glen tries to save it, but is unable to. Eventually, after mourning the loss of his "friend", he discovers an Arctic island with green grass. While exploring, Glen discovers another snow-made bear made by a female polar bear named Luma. The two become mates and make another snow bear to be friends with Luma’s snow bear.
== Accolades == Since its release, the film has been selected in various festivals around the world: {| class="wikitable" !Year !Festivals !Award/Category !Status |- | rowspan="9" |2025 | Annecy International Animation Film Festival |Young Audience Award<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zahed |first=Ramin |date=2025-03-17 |title=Exclusive: Annecy Intl. Animation Festival Reveals Eclectic Lineup for Its 2025 Official Shorts Competition |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2025/03/exclusive-annecy-festival-reveals-eclectic-lineup-for-2025-official-shorts-competition/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Animation Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> |{{Nominated}} |- |Cleveland International Film Festival |Best Family Short Audience Choice Award<ref>{{Cite web |title=CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES THE CIFF49 AWARD WINNERS |url=https://www.clevelandfilm.org/news/ciff49-award-winners-announced |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=www.clevelandfilm.org}}</ref> |{{Won}} |- |Animafest Zagreb |Best Film for Children and Youth<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=F. N. E. |title=Winners of Animafest Zagreb 2025 - FilmNewEurope.com |url=https://www.filmneweurope.com/news/croatia-news/item/126926-winners-of-animafest-zagreb-2025 |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=www.filmneweurope.com |language=en-gb}}</ref> |{{Won}} |- |El Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara (FICG) |Rigo Mora Prize<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oso de nieve |url=https://vp.eventival.com/ficg/2025/film/1093757 |access-date=2025-07-24 |website=vp.eventival.com |language=es}}</ref> |{{Nominated}} |- |Hollyshorts Film Festival |Best Animated Short<ref>{{Cite web |title=21st Annual HollyShorts Film Festival |url=https://hollyshorts2025.eventive.org/films/6887eb1f67c8be4a820f226b |access-date=2025-09-11 |website=hollyshorts2025.eventive.org}}</ref> |{{Nominated}} |- |Tribeca Film Festival<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldsmith |first=Jill |date=2025-04-22 |title=Tribeca Festival 2025 Unveils Expanded Shorts Program With Dedicated Screening Room |url=https://deadline.com/2025/04/tribeca-festival-2025-lineup-short-films-1236373685/ |access-date=2025-09-11 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> |Best Animated Short<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sabroski |first=Ryan |date=2025-06-08 |title='Snow Bear' (Tribeca) Non-Spoiler Review – A Simple But Stunning Animated Tale |url=https://www.thecinemaspot.com/2025/06/08/snow-bear-tribeca-non-spoiler-review-a-simple-but-stunning-animated-tale/ |access-date=2025-09-11 |website=The Cinema Spot |language=en-US}}</ref> |{{Nominated}} |- |San Francisco Film Festival |Family Short Award<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-26 |title=AwardsWatch - 68th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM) Lineup: Josh O'Connor in 'Rebuilding,' Tributes to André Holland, Chris Columbus |url=https://awardswatch.com/68th-san-francisco-international-film-festival-sffilm-lineup-josh-oconnor-in-rebuilding-tributes-to-andre-holland-chris-columbus/ |access-date=2025-09-11 |website=AwardsWatch |language=en-US}}</ref> |{{Nominated}} |- |Santa Fe International Film Festival |Best Animated Short Jury Award<ref>{{Cite web |last=Molloy |first=Tim |date=2025-10-23 |title=Free Leonard Peltier, Nika and Madison Win Top Awards at Santa Fe International Film Festival |url=https://www.moviemaker.com/santa-fe-international-film-festival-awards-2025/ |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.moviemaker.com |language=en-US}}</ref> |{{Won}} |- | Jackson Wild | Planet in Crisis Award - Short Form<ref>{{Cite web |title=2025 Jackson Wild Media Awards |url=https://www.jacksonwild.org/2025-media-awards |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Jackson Wild }}</ref> |{{Won}} |- | rowspan="2" |2026 | rowspan="2" |Annie Awards |Best Animated Short Subject |{{Won}} |- |Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production <small> (for Aaron Blaise) </small> |{{nom}} |}
==See also== * List of submissions for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film
== References == <references />
== External links == * {{IMDb title|35664086|Snow Bear}} * [https://SnowBearShort.com/ Official Website] * ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOXolSQcEb4 Snow Bear]'' on YouTube
{{Annie Award for Best Animated Short Subject}}
Category:2025 American animated short films Category:Animated films about polar bears Category:Animated films without speech Category:Films directed by Aaron Blaise Category:Films scored by Mark Mancina Category:2025 animated films Category:2025 short films Category:Best Animated Short Subject Annie Award winners